Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Joins UMD

By
KBJR News 1

July 10, 2014Updated Jul 11, 2014 at 3:35 PM CDT

Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.com) --- Two-time Olympic gold medalist Gina Kingsbury has been named an assistant coach of the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) women's hockey team, the school announced on Thursday afternoon.

Kingsbury comes to UMD after a four-year stint as assistant coach at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, British Columbia, which is where she's been since winning the second of her gold medals at the 2010 Vancouver Games --- the first came four years earlier in Turin.

"Gina's strengths as a coach are skating and skill development, recruiting and sport psychology," UMD head coach Shannon Miller said. "With so much experience playing at the highest level of competition in the world, Gina commands respect the second she skates onto the ice. This is a strong and exciting addition to our team."

Kingsbury also has NCAA experience, having played four seasons for St. Lawrence and having helped that team reach two NCAA Frozen Four tournaments in her time. One of those came in 2002, when she and the Saints fell 4-2 to the Bulldogs in the national semifinals.

UMD's newest addition also owns six IIHF World Championship medals and six gold medals with Team Canada from the Four Nations Cup. In her 116 games with the Canadian national team, Kingsbury totaled 35 goals and 40 assists for 75 points.